Description
The ultimate solution for busy weeknights. By skipping the pasta boiling and combining everything in a single 9×13-inch dish, you create a rich, cheesy, and satisfying dinner with tender rotini, savory meatballs, and a blanket of melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
The Main Bake
- 1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta, uncooked
- 1 jar (24 oz) pasta sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 bag (14 oz) frozen precooked meatballs, thawed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
The Topping
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Prep: Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 9×13 dish with nonstick spray.
Dump: Add uncooked rotini, water, sauce, thawed meatballs, and salt to the dish. Stir well.
Bake: Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 35 mins, stirring once halfway through (at ~18 mins) and re-sealing tightly.
Cheese: Remove foil, stir again, and top with mozzarella.
Melt: Bake uncovered for 5–8 mins until cheese is bubbling and golden.
Notes
The Steam Secret: A tight foil seal is non-negotiable; trapped steam is what cooks the dry pasta.
Thaw Your Meatballs: Frozen meatballs release too much moisture and cool the liquid, leading to soggy pasta.
Fresh Shreds: Shred mozzarella from a block for the best melt; pre-shredded starch coatings can inhibit the ‘cheese pull’.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course / Casserole
- Method: One-Pan / Dump and Bake
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Generous Scoop
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 940
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Unsaturated Fat: 9
- Trans Fat: 0.2
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 26
- Cholesterol: 55
Keywords: dump and bake meatball casserole, no boil pasta bake, easy weeknight dinners, one pan meatball pasta, cheesy rotini bake